


Full (Fire)house

by ABakersTrilogyHasFourBooks



Category: Ghostbusters (2016), Ghostbusters - All Media Types
Genre: Busting ghosts?, Children, Domestic Bliss, F/F, Family, Ghostbusters II references, Holtzmann siblings, LET'S FIND OUT, Marriage, The unconventional procurement of children, Wedding, Which is scarier, or having a family?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-17 04:25:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8130331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABakersTrilogyHasFourBooks/pseuds/ABakersTrilogyHasFourBooks
Summary: “Do you want to have a kid, or be a kid? Because those are two very different things. And we can always, like, go to Disneyland or something if that would help...”“How do gay people go about obtaining children?”“We get them from H&M, Erin. Everyone knows that.”~~~Erin and Holtzmann decide to spend the rest of their lives together. Then they add children to the mix. Of course nothing goes quite according to plan.





	1. Proposal(s)

“Erin, will you marry me?”

“Please do not propose to me while I’m taking a shower,” Erin’s voice came from behind the curtain.

“Sorry!”

It had been the third time that Holtzmann had brought up the idea of marriage at an inappropriate time. The first time, they’d been very drunk, riding the subway home after a long night celebrating Patty's birthday. Holtz had been giggling uncontrollably, causing quite the scene. 

“Erin, get your woman under control!” Patty had said, clearly bothered by her friend's loud behavior. “This is inappropriate behavior for the subway.”

Erin had gently tugged Jillian into a sitting position. 

“Erin? Hey, Erin!” Holtz had shouted, despite the fact that they were pressed up against each other. 

“Yes? I’m right here, so there’s no need to shout.”

“You should marry me! Totally. I am MARRIAGE MATERIAL, baby! Wanna do it? Let’s do it! Right here on this subway!” Erin was mortified. Abby and Patty had stepped in.

“Holtzmann, you’re drunk. You’re not allowed to propose unless your blood-alcohol level would enable you to legally drive a car. And that’s definitely not the case right now.”

“You’re not the case right now! Don’t tell me what to do!” came Holtz's retort.

“Holtzy, girl, you’re embarrassing Erin. Keep your shit together.”

The second proposal had fallen on Valentine’s Day, to Erin’s dismay. Holtzmann was cooking dinner and just casually mentioned it over her shoulder while she stirred the pasta that was simmering on the stove. Erin stopped in her tracks, squeezing her eyes shut tight. 

“Please, Jill. Is that really the kind of question to ask while you’re cooking? You weren’t even looking at me.”

“True. Sorry."

"Plus, it's Valentine's Day. Proposing on Valentine's Day is..."

"Cringey. Cringey is the word you're looking for. Worry not, I'll save it for later."

As soon as Erin stepped out of her shower, Holtz pounced on her. She had stripped off her own clothes and was kissing down Erin’s neck, hands exploring. Erin stopped her, taken aback.

“You are ALL over the place today! What’s the deal?”

“What? Why can’t I kiss my girlfriend?”

“And propose to her while she’s showering off a layer of slime?”

“You’re irresistible, Gilbert,” she purred, running her hands up Erin’s arms, causing her to shiver.

“We need to talk about this. Let me get dressed.” Erin pushed past her naked, handsy girlfriend and managed to throw on a t-shirt and shorts. 

“What do we need to talk about? Let’s bang, baby.” Holtz made a clicking sound with her mouth to accompany the wink and finger guns she shot Erin’s way. 

“Put some clothes on, we’re having an adult conversation.” She tossed her girlfriend a robe and a pair of panties, which she reluctantly put on.

“All right, all right. What are we talking about?” Holtz sighed. Being naked was way more fun than wearing clothes. 

“Marriage. We’re talking about marriage. You seem to struggle with bringing it up at inappropriate times.” Holtz blushed a little and shrugged.

“It’s been on my mind.”

“Well, it’s been on my mind too. I know that I want to be with you forever. I plan to do that whether we’re married or not. But I know that it would have some benefits. You know, taxes. Hospital visitation rights if you blow yourself up. The whole...having kids thing.” Their eyes met. It was the first time that Erin had been the one to bring it up. Holtzmann had mentioned it in passing a few times, but hadn’t wanted to push. She really just wanted to gauge whether Erin was open to the possibility of bringing children into their lives. 

“Where are you on the whole kids thing?” she asked plainly. Erin cringed a little at her straightforwardness, but ever since the elevator debacle, they’d both vowed to be as honest with each other as possible. 

“I’m...open to the idea. I don’t know. It seems like a lot to screw up.”

“Or make awesome. We could be a Ghostbusting family of awesome. What kid wouldn’t want to be a part of that?"

"You may have a point. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Are you serious about wanting to marry me?" Erin asked.

"Is the atomic weight of cobalt 58.9?" Holtz countered.

"Then let's do it. Let's get married."

"Are you sure?"

"Wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't." Erin said matter-of-factly. 

"So...are we engaged now?" Holtzmann asked.

"I'm afraid so," Erin said, wrapping her arms around Holtz and leaning in for a kiss.

A grin spread across Holtzmann's face. "Cool."


	2. Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I've convinced Erin to marry me! Third time’s a charm for the proposal thing apparently. We're engaged!"
> 
> “Holy shit! Congratulations!" Abby dropped her taco and wrapped Erin in a hug while Patty picked up Holtz and spun her around. 
> 
> “Show us the ring!”
> 
> “Oh, shoot…” Holtz smacked her forehead. Patty grabbed Erin’s hands and inspected her bare fingers, looking shocked.
> 
> “You didn't give her a ring? What the hell, Holtzy?”
> 
> “She didn't give me one either!” Holtz said stubbornly.

The sound of the heavy front door closing downstairs interrupted their kiss. Rather than being frustrated, excitement danced in Holtz’s eyes as she grabbed Erin's hand and pulled her down the stairs. 

“Guess what, guess what, GUESS WHAT?!” she yelled, scaring the bejesus out of Abby, whose container of takeout clattered to the floor. Abby shot daggers at Holtzmann with her eyes. 

“Jesus, Holtzmann! What? WHAT? WHAAAAAT?” she snarled as she gathered up her dinner. Erin stooped to help her. 

“Sorry Abs, didn't mean to startle you! But I've got the best news. Wait. Where's Patty?”

Patty stuck her head out of the first floor office, looking annoyed. “Patty's right here, trying to balance the books for the month. What the hell you yellin’ about Holtzy? “

“This better be good, Holtzmann. The sanctity of my tacos has been compromised.” Abby moaned, shaking her head and trying to coax the fixings back into a taco with her fingers. 

“I'll get you more tacos! And drinks! I’ll buy everyone drinks! We've got celebrating to do! “ she grinned manically. 

“What are we celebrating this time?” Patty said with a roll of her eyes. The last time Holtz had gotten this worked up, it had been because she'd scored a quantity of cheap circuit boards on Craigslist. 

“I've convinced Erin to marry me! Third time’s a charm for the proposal thing apparently. We're engaged! “ she wrapped her arms sideways around Erin and squeezed a little too tightly. 

“Are you for real? “ Patty's eyebrows shot up as she looked to Erin for confirmation. 

Erin nodded, smiling as her cheeks colored. “Yes, she's for real. “

“Holy shit! Congratulations! “ Abby dropped her taco and wrapped Erin in a hug while Patty picked up Holtz and spun her around. 

“You crazy thing, good for you!” Patty said as she squeezed her friend. She turned to Erin.

“Show us the ring!”

“Oh, shoot…” Holtz smacked her forehead. Patty grabbed Erin’s hands and inspected her bare fingers, looking shocked.

“You didn't give her a ring? What the hell, Holtzy?”

“She didn't give me one either!” Holtz said stubbornly. 

“Naw, that’s not how that works! The one who asks supplies the ring. C’mon girl. You know better than that!”

“Technically, we decided together,” Holtz said, folding her arms across her chest. 

“You get this girl a ring ASAP! You hear me? Erin Gilbert is a saint for agreeing to put up with your ass for the rest of her life and she deserves some jewelry to show for it,” Patty shook her head. “Didn’t get her a ring,” she muttered.

“Well, technically, the lady gets the engagement ring. And I’m a lady too, y’know,” Holtz glanced at Erin, expecting her to roll her eyes. But rather than rolling her eyes, Erin looked thoughtful. 

“I can get you a ring,” Erin looked her in the eyes, “If you really want one. I don’t have a problem doing that.”

Holtzmann thought for a moment. She wasn’t extremely feminine, in the traditional sense. In fact, traditional was not a word most people would use to describe her. But she did wear jewelry. She had a few pieces that meant something to her and she wore at least one of them every day. Like the ‘screw you’ necklace Dr. Gorin had given her to remind her not to worry about what others thought of her. She put it on every day as a pledge to be true to herself. In addition to that she had the watch her Dad gave her when she graduated from MIT. She didn’t wear jewelry because of how it looked. She wore it because it was meaningful. And what was more meaningful than being committed to the love of her life? 

“I’d like that. If it’s not too much trouble,” she replied and Erin nodded. 

“Of course not. It’s only fair.”

~~~

The following day, Patty pulled Holtzmann aside while Erin and Abby were getting lunch. She thought her friend might need a little guidance on the whole picking and purchasing of a ring thing, considering she’d proposed multiple times and had yet to produce jewelry of any kind. 

“Hey, baby. So, I think we need to talk about this ring thing. Have you thought about taking Erin out to shop for rings? I know it’s typical for this kind of thing to be a surprise, but I think most girls would prefer to have some say in the jewelry they’re going to be wearing for the rest of their lives. My cousin works at Jangmi. She could show you some stuff.”

“Thanks, Pats. But for once in my life, I think I’m good,” Holtz said confidently. Patty was skeptical but didn’t want it to show.

“Oh, that’s good. So you’ve got a plan, huh?”

“I do. It just so happens Grammy Holtzmann left behind her gorgeous diamond engagement ring when she passed. I just need to call my parents and get a hold of it.”

Patty’s brows lifted. “Are you serious? You’ve got heirloom jewelry for Erin?” 

“Yes. Does that surprise you?”

“Yeah, it does. I didn’t think you’d have a plan, let alone one as thoughtful and sweet as that. I’m proud of you, Holtzy.” Holtzmann shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal, but truthfully, she was pleased- and relieved -that Patty had reacted so well to her plan. She’d been excited when it had come to her. She was pretty sure she had been Grammy Holtzmann’s favorite and that the woman would have been thrilled at the idea of her passing it on to the love of her life. 

~~~

Holtzmann hung up the phone and sighed, rubbing her hands over her eyes in frustration. She’d been trying to track down her grandmother’s ring for a few days with no luck. She’d made a series of phone calls to family members and had determined that she was probably not going to get it back. Her mother told her she had given it to her brother James when he had proposed to his ex-wife Cheryl. Holtzmann was a little frustrated that she hadn’t saved the ring for her, but her mom explained that she’d been torn. James had asked for it for Cheryl and at that time, Jillian was single and gay marriage was illegal. She could tell her mom felt bad about the whole situation, especially since Jamie and his wife had split up. Jillian told her not to worry, she’d talk to James and get the whole thing figured out. So she called her brother to see if he had gotten the ring back when they’d split up a few years ago. 

“No, Jill, I did not ask for it back. That would have been SUPER tacky. I gave it to her-”

“Yeah, yeah, as a sign of your undying love. So much for that. Well, do you think she’d give it to me if I asked for it? I’d be willing to pay her.”

“God, I don’t know. She never really, well…” James paused, too polite to say what both of them were thinking. 

“Jamie, I’m not an idiot. I know she didn’t really like me. I’m fine with that. I like Kelly much better than I ever liked Cheryl anyway. But do you think she’d sell it to me? It’s kind of important.”

“You can try but I can’t make any guarantees. Her number hasn’t changed, as far as I know.”

“Cool. I’ll try that. Thanks for the help, bro.”

“Hey, sorry I didn’t have better news for you. And congrats. Seriously, I’m really happy for you. Erin seems like a really good fit for you. I’m confident you guys will do MUCH better than Cher and I did.” 

James and his ex-wife had not been a good match. She was the first girl he met when he went off to college and Holtz thought that maybe he didn’t have the confidence to realize there was better for him out there. She wasn’t a very kind person, which opposed the Holtzmann family values. Cheryl had successfully changed her brother some, stuffed him into a box he didn’t really fit into. He’d followed her to London where she tried to begin a career in modeling. It hadn’t gone well. James began working at a law firm and absolutely hated it. He’d expressed a desire to return to school to study counseling, which Cheryl had balked at. After all, she needed his financial support in order to keep afloat while trying to kick start her career. The final straw had come when she refused to have kids because it would “ruin her body”, despite the fact that James wanted kids very much, a desire he’d been clear about before they married. When they split up, he moved back to the states and crashed at the firehouse while he was getting back on his feet. He had recently finished a degree in Marriage and Family Counseling, work that he found extremely satisfying. His new wife Kelly was wonderful and hilarious and Holtz was glad they had each other. Kelly was expecting their first baby in a few months.

“Thanks Jamie, that means a lot. I love her so much. I feel like we really balance each other out, y’know? She’s my best friend.”

“That is awesome. That’s how it has to be. You’ll have to let Kelly know if you need any help with the wedding planning thing. She’s really good with that stuff. I’m sure she’d love to help.” It was true. Holtzmann’s sister-in-law was extremely organized and creative. Their wedding had been beautiful. Erin and Holtz had not yet talked about what kind of wedding they wanted, but Holtz was glad to know she had someone who could at least point her in the right direction.

When Holtzmann called Cheryl, she was kind and polite as always. Just because she couldn’t stand her didn’t mean she didn’t deserve respect. That’s what her parents had always said. Treat everyone with respect because you never know what’s going on in their lives. So she did. Cheryl wasn’t exactly rude, but she was pretty short with Holtz and Holtz could tell she wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible. She no longer had the ring, she’d sold it after the divorce. Holtzmann was frustrated by this but was also pretty sure Cheryl wouldn’t have pawned it if she hadn’t really needed the money. It was a beautiful ring and she had been quite proud of it. 

Her original plan ruined, Holtz had to figure out what was next. She didn’t want to buy Erin any old ring at a chain store. She wanted her ring to have meaning. She wanted it to be something special. She twisted a piece of loose wire with her pliers and thought. Where could she find a ring that would be special enough for her best friend, the love of her life? 

Suddenly, the idea came to her. She grinned as she picked up the phone to make one last call.

~~~

Erin was a little stumped. She knew that Holtz wouldn’t want anything flashy, and everything she’d looked at in stores was just that. A gaudy diamond ring just wasn’t Jillian’s style. She didn’t wear much jewelry anyway and Erin wondered if she’d even like a diamond. She didn’t think so. She knew of three pieces of jewelry that Holtzmann wore. The “screw you” necklace her mentor had given her in college and the watch her father had given her as a graduation gift were the two she wore daily. Erin had seen a third necklace pop up occasionally, but hadn’t heard the story behind it yet. She was sure there was one though. She knew that Holtz would be grateful for whatever she decided on but wanted to get her something she’d actually like, since she was going to wear it for the rest of her life. So she asked her friends for advice. 

“God, I don’t know. You could probably get her a plastic ring from inside a cereal box and she’d love it. Or a Ring Pop. You know how she is about sugar,” Abby advised. Erin nodded. She did know how her girlfriend was about sugar. Obsessed. A Ring Pop might make a good joke but Erin felt that this may not be the appropriate circumstance for a prank.

Patty was more help. “Girl, you gotta get on Etsy! They’ve got all kinds of unique shit on there. My cousin got this kick-ass vintage birthstone ring from the 1920s at a decent price.” Erin had never bought anything from Etsy before.

“Do you think they’ll have something that would fit Holtz? Not size-wise, but like...who she is as a person?”

“I’m tellin you, the internet caters to every niche you could imagine. Holtzy is one-of-a-kind for sure, but you know the things she loves. Just type in some keywords and see what pops up. I guarantee you’ll find something.” Erin nodded and thanked Patty before sitting down in front of her laptop to begin the search. First, she had to think about what Jillian liked.

Her girlfriend loved snack foods. She loved taking things apart. Creating new things. She loved clothes from thrift stores and items that had been repurposed. She loved turning trash into treasure. She loved science. Physics was obviously her favorite branch, but she loved science in general. She loved tinkering. Erin started entering keywords and phrases and before long, she had an idea.

~~~

It was four in the morning and a loud crash woke Abby from where she’d fallen asleep on the couch. She bolted up the stairs to see Holtzmann flipping up her welding mask, dusting herself off and gathering a haphazard mess of silver wires, pliers, and pieces of metal into a box. A blowtorch lay on the table.

“What the hell are you working on at 4am?” Abby was relieved that Holtz was ok but mad that she’d been woken up. 

“Shhh, it’s a secret,” Holtz said, holding a finger to her lips. 

“You woke me up and you’re telling ME to keep quiet? Why the fuck are you soldering shit in the middle of the night?”

“It’s for Erin. I have to work in the cover of darkness. I promise I’ll show you before I’m done.” Holtzmann waved her hands in front of her friend’s grumpy and exhausted face. “This conversation never happened.”

“Whatever, Holtz. Don’t burn the place down. Or wake me. Ever again.” Abby rolled her eyes and relocated to an upstairs bedroom to hopefully get some rest. 

~~~

It was a Tuesday afternoon a few weeks later and Erin had just figured out a particularly perplexing problem. She threw down her dry erase marker and let out a loud whoop, spinning a circle in place. She danced in place a bit then slapped on the radio and was secretly delighted to hear “Firework” by Katy Perry playing. She began singing along, dancing with grand movements and the satisfied enthusiasm of being completely finished with something challenging. 

Holtzmann stopped in the doorway, grinning ear to ear at the sight of her girlfriend singing and dancing by herself. She danced over to her and spun her around. They laughed and smiled as they cut loose.

When the song ended, Holtz turned the radio down and asked, “So, just a random Tuesday afternoon dance break?”

“I’m celebrating!” Erin said, wiggling her shoulders up and down. She gestured to the white board, “I finally figured out this problem I’ve been working on forever! I win! HA!” She punched a fist in the air.

“Nice job, Gilbert. I knew you’d get there eventually.” She was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. She nodded her head once and pulled something small from deep within the pocket of her overalls. 

“Can I piggyback on this celebration?” she asked innocently, hands quickly darting behind her back.

“Are you proposing again? Because I thought we’d already said yes…” But Erin’s eyes were smiling and she was curious.

“Well, let me tell you something, Ghost Girl,” Holtzmann began, hopping up on the table next to where Erin was standing. “I wanted to give you this special ring of my grandmother’s...but Jamie’s ex-wife pawned it and we couldn’t track it down. So, I decided to make something just for you.” She opened her hand to reveal a small velvet pouch, which she opened. She took Erin’s hand and gently placed a silver ring in Erin’s palm so she could examine it. An oval diamond was surrounded by several glittering green stones and affixed to a twisted silver band. 

“The diamond is from a necklace my grandfather gave to my grandmother when they started dating. He loved her from the time they were 18. They were married for 60 years and he never stopped loving her. He cherished her, always took care of her, even when she got sick. He never left her side.” She flicked her eyes up to meet Erin’s gaze, “I’ll always take care of you, Erin. When you’re sick with the flu or when you let tequila get the best of you.” She grinned and went on.

“So the emeralds were my mom’s. My dad gave her these beautiful earrings for their 20th anniversary, but she lost one of them and wasn’t able to wear them anymore. My parents have this incredibly deep relationship. They’re best friends and I love the way my dad respects my mom as a person. He’s so proud of her and he’s always wanting her opinion of things, even though they work in different fields. You are one of the smartest people I know and I look up to you so much. I love that we can share our passion for science and talk physics together,” She slipped the ring onto Erin’s finger and squeezed her hand gently. “I’d always hoped I could marry my best friend one day, just like they did.”

“I made the band myself. It’s supposed to be the infinity symbol, I just looped it a few times. Cuz you’ll never get rid of me Gilbert. You let me put this ring on your finger and now you’re stuck with me for good.”

Erin examined the ring carefully, eyes wide. “Wh-what are those markings on the outside?”

“Oh. That’s where I didn’t wait long enough for it to cool before picking it up. I accidentally left some fingerprints behind.” She bit her lip. “Sorry. I wanted it to be perfect.”

“It is perfect. I love that you left your mark on it. I can’t believe you went through all this trouble...And that your family was willing to give their jewelry away for me. It’s amazing. I don’t feel worthy.” Erin shook her head as she looked at the beautiful ring wrapped around her finger. She hadn’t realized how sentimental Jillian could be until this moment. 

“They were thrilled to do it, Erin. Of course you’re worthy. I love you,” Holtz brought Erin’s hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles gently. Erin squeezed back before letting go. 

“Well, I wasn’t sure when to give this to you, so I don’t have anything planned,” Erin walked over to her desk drawer and pulled out the small black box and rubbed the velvet with her thumbs, feeling a little insecure about her choice. Holtzmann had made her a ring, using heirloom gems. She wasn’t sure the ring she’d chosen was good enough, but she placed the box in Holtzmann’s hand anyway. She gently opened the lid and her eyes widened. 

“I didn’t think you’d want a diamond. I mean, I knew you’d wear whatever I gave you, but I wanted you to love it. I wanted it to be you. I hope it’s ok that this isn’t a diamond. It’s Tungsten Carbide, so you don’t have to worry about scratching it or melting it or ruining it while you work. It’s made to last.” She looked at her fiancee’s face, where a huge smile was stretched. She thought she saw wetness in Holtzmann’s eyes and she gained confidence in her choice. 

“Just like us. We’re going to be together forever, I have no doubt in my mind. I had it etched with the gears because I feel like we keep each other going. I know we’re going to continue working and inventing and busting and just chugging along together like a well-oiled machine.” Erin removed the ring from the box and slid it onto Jillian’s finger. “I hope...I hope you like it,” she said shyly as she looked up at Holtzmann’s face. A single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, even as her dimpled grin widened. She took Erin’s face in her hands. 

“You are the most brilliant person I’ve ever known. This ring? It’s perfect. It looks like something I could have chosen for myself. I love how well you know me,” she shook her head as one more tear spilled out. “I love you so much, Erin. I can’t believe how lucky I am to get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Erin wrapped her arms around her fiancee and felt her own eyes fill up, but then a laugh came out. “I'm the lucky one. Lucky that you're persistent. Thanks for proposing all those times." She shook her head, smiling. "I’m so glad we found each other.”

“Thank God for ghosts, huh?” Jillian said, pressing her forehead against Erin’s until their lips were centimeters apart. 

“Thank God for ghosts,” Erin repeated, and she closed the distance between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I did some jewelry research for this chapter. You really can get cool rings on Etsy. There were some super cool nerdy choices out there that tempted me. 
> 
> I added some background info about Holtz's brother because I've actually got another story cooking about the time when he stayed in the firehouse. Maybe I'll share that someday as well.
> 
> Thank you for your comments! I love to know what people think :)


	3. Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, we’ve been married for…” Holtzmann glanced at her watch, “Like, five hours now. We should probably consummate this thing, don’cha think?” She wiggled her eyebrows in a way that Erin assumed was meant to be suggestive but actually looked a little manic. 
> 
> Erin reached up, cupping her cheek and gazing into her eyes. “You’re so romantic, I could swoon right here.”

“Hey, we’ve been married for…” Holtzmann glanced at her watch as they walked down the hallway, “Like, five hours now. We should probably consummate this thing, don’cha think?” She wiggled her eyebrows in a way that Erin assumed was meant to be suggestive but actually looked a little manic. Despite being together for over a year now, Jillian still lacked subtlety when it came to at least half of her attempts to get Erin into bed. She was usually too loud to be subtle. She lacked the brain-to-mouth filter necessary. 

Erin reached up, cupping her cheek and gazing into her eyes. “You’re so romantic, I could swoon right here.”

“I sense a little sarcasm Mrs. Gilbert-Holtzmann.”

“Oh, are we hyphenating?”

“Do you want to?”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of long. But, I guess the alternative is being Mrs. Gilbert. Which reminds me of my mother. I don’t love that idea. I’d prefer to stick with Dr. Gilbert.”

“Let’s mash our last names together to create a new one. We could be the Holtzberts. Or the Gilzmanns. You gotta admit, that sounds kind of cool. The doctors Gilzmann could cordially invite people to brunch.”

“I’m not a fan of the name smush. Sounds too much like nerdy super fans hoping their favorite TV characters or celebrities will end up together.”

“You’ve got a point.” They were quiet for a beat, thinking. They hadn’t breached the subject of last names. 

“We don’t have to decide about last names right now. In fact, let’s think this over after a couple of orgasms. Increase the ol’ blood flow to the brain. Among other places,” This time she winked, which was a gesture hailing from the same arena as the eyebrow wiggle. Erin rolled her eyes. She loved her wife deeply, awkward jokes and innuendos included. She was the one who had a plan for spicing up the evening. 

Erin shut the door behind them and took in her surroundings. They were in a fancy shmancy beach resort in Costa Rica. Their suite had a gigantic soft bed with a fluffy down comforter and more pillows than anyone could possibly use. She couldn’t wait to crawl into it. Erin sank onto a chair and sighed with relief as she removed her black heels, rubbing her sore feet. They’d spent the past several hours dancing with their friends in the moonlight and her feet were killing her. She looked up to see Holtzmann kicking off her own white heels and beginning to remove pins from her hair. She looked stunning in her white tuxedo jacket and Erin wondered if there was anything underneath it. There was only one way to find out.

“Can you help me with the zipper?” She asked, turning and tucking her hair over her bare shoulders. Jillian immediately dropped her handful of pins onto the dresser and slid down the zipper of Erin’s black dress, placing a kiss on her shoulder.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” she murmured as her hands snaked around her wife’s waist. Erin turned in her arms and began unbuttoning Holtz’s jacket. 

“I’m so glad we did this,” Erin replied, pressing a kiss to her wife’s lips. They’d decided on a small, destination wedding with just Abby, Benny, Patty and her date, Sean. They would invite more family and friends to celebrate with a reception when they returned to New York. Erin was grateful that they could spend the night, as well as the next few days, together, without pressure to entertain. Their friends had the option of being lazy on the beach or getting a little adventurous with white-water rafting or ziplining through the canopy of the cloud forest. Erin intended to stay on the resort property as long as Holtzmann would allow her. She knew she’d have to cave to adventure eventually. It was part of the reason why Jillian had suggested Costa Rica. 

“Mmm, me too. Let’s get you into something a little more...comfortable,” Jillian replied, slowly sliding Erin’s dress down until it landed on the floor. Erin stepped out of it as she slipped her wife’s jacket from her shoulders (black bra, how she’d kept it from showing was a true feat of engineering) and reached to undo her pants. She discovered something black and very lacy underneath, very unlike Holtzmann, who typically wore men’s boxers or boy shorts. 

“Um, wow,” Erin breathed, leaning in to kiss her wife’s neck. 

“Thought I’d, y’know, try something different. Special occasion,” Holtz replied, tilting her neck into Erin’s kiss and running her hands down her sides, stopping them to rest them on her hips. Erin kissed her way to Jillian’s collarbone where she nipped lightly. She couldn’t resist grabbing her ass as she moved to kiss her lips, tongue quickly sliding into her mouth. She felt Holtz smile around the kiss.

“So I take it you like them?” she murmured softly.

“I love them. I can’t wait to take them off of you.”

“I’m not stopping you,” she purred in response, breathing into Erin’s ear before plunging her tongue in. Erin made a strangled noise. 

“I have...an idea,” Erin said when she caught her breath. Jillian’s hands were traveling down her torso, gently pressing over her breasts and down her stomach. Her fingers toyed with the waistband of Erin’s panties.

“What kind of idea?”

“I want to try something,” she said, pushing Jillian back onto the bed. “Scoot up,” she commanded, and her wife complied. 

“You’ve got my attention,” Holtz said, and Erin climbed on top of her. 

~~~~

Afterward, they lay pressed together amid the pile of pillows and silky sheets, breathing hard, utterly exhausted. 

“That,” Jillian breathed, “may have been the best idea you’ve ever had. Screw engineering. Screw busting ghosts. Hell, screw white-water rafting or ziplining through the jungle. Let’s spend the next four days in this bed, doing that again.” Erin chuckled.

“Do you liked it, huh?”

“Liked is not a strong enough word. Why have we never done that before?”

Erin shrugged. “I don’t know. But it just...popped in my head the other day, and I thought we should probably give it a whirl.”

“Two thumbs way, way up. So good luck getting me out of this bed ever again,” Holtz said, a rather large yawn punctuating her words. Erin smiled, leaning in to kiss her lips gently.

“I’m okay with staying in bed. I’m beat. It’s been such a long day.” Erin had struggled to sleep the previous night and had been up for over 24 hours at this point. She'd been running on pure adrenaline for a while now. After a day full of preparation, pictures, the actual ceremony, tons of dancing and some great sex, she was exhausted, but extremely satisfied. 

“It has been a long day. The best day, though.”

“The very best.”

Holtz reached over and turned off the light, then kissed her wife, snuggling into her side. 

“Good night, Dr. Gilzmann,” she said, nuzzling into Erin’s neck. “I love you.”

“Good night, Jill. I love you, too.” Erin closed her eyes and nodded off, realizing it would be damn near impossible for her dreams to top the incredible day she had just finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I debated writing out the sex scene. I have it pictured in my dirty lil brain but I couldn't bring myself to put it to words. Sorry if that bums you out. Perhaps you can use your imagination to dream up somethin nasty ;)
> 
> I visited Costa Rica a while back and it's gorgeous. I can picture Holtz having the time of her life doing all the cool adventure stuff while Erin chills on a beach. Also, in my world, Abby is dating Benny. I've been playing with that idea and may publish somethin about it later. 
> 
> Also, also, we might be entering a time jump here pretty quick!
> 
> I love your comments :D


	4. Charlie's 1st Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holtz wants kids and Erin is terrified by the idea. 
> 
> Appearances are made by other Holtzmanns.

They were picnicking in the park when Erin noticed that Holtz could not tear her eyes away from a few small children playing nearby. A young girl carefully held the hands of a chubby toddler who was attempting a few steps in the soft grass. Two pigtailed girls giggled with glee, pumping their legs until the swings threatened to go over the bar. Three boys chased each other around the swing set in a round of tag. Holtz smiled at the kids as she crunched on a few pizza flavored Pringles. 

“Man, kids are the best,” Holtz commented. “How can those moms sit on their phones when their kids are having the time of their lives right in front of them? When we have kids, I’m going to play with them all the time.”

It had been almost a year since the wedding. It had certainly been a busy year. Erin and Abby had been approached by a publisher who wanted them to update and expand upon their book, so they’d spent the past year adding content, revising, and editing. Holtz and Patty had been the primary busters, discovering that there were some spectres left in the city after the vortex situation. They were few and far between and the women were trying to discern whether more were being created somehow or if a finite amount remained. Erin and Holtz had moved into Erin’s apartment but still slept at the firehouse regularly when they were too tired to call it a night. Holtzmann was trying to determine where she would focus her energy if they did run out of ghosts to trap. 

“Do you want to have a kid, or be a kid? Because those are two very different things. And we can always, like, go to Disneyland or something if that would help.” 

“I want kids. I mean, yeah, I am looking forward to doing fun things with our kids. But I know that having kids isn’t all fun and games.”

“Are you sure? When they’re yours, you can’t give them back.” Holtz’s nephew, Charlie, was almost one and Jillian could not get enough of the little guy. They’d offered to watch him for James and Kelly’s anniversary and it had gone so well that Holtz had suggested they make babysitting a regular thing. Erin was a little surprised to see how much of a natural Holtz was. Her erratic, somewhat dangerous behavior morphed into something more careful when Charlie was around, yet she still managed to make the little guy squeal with laughter more than anyone. Still, Erin knew that babysitting and parenting were completely different things. 

“Erin, I’m the second oldest of seven kids. I helped out a lot. My sister Natalie’s first word was ‘mama’ and she was looking at me when she said it.” This was news to Erin. She knew that Holtz came from a big family but she hadn’t pictured her playing the role of mother to her younger siblings. “I know what I want. I’m ready. But you need to be ready too. So just give it some thought, ok?” JIll brushed a lock of hair behind Erin’s ear before leaning in to kiss her cheek. 

“Ok. I’ll give it some thought.”

~~~

The truth was, Erin had been giving it some thought for a while already. And she kept coming up with reasons why bringing a child into their lives was a bad idea. First, there was the fact that she was likely to do more harm than good to a kid. Her parents not believing her had been even worse than seeing the ghost of her neighbor every night in her room. Before that, she’d felt like they would always be there for her, like she could trust them for support and comfort. The way things turned out left her feeling skeptical of people, questioning their motives and resisting relying on them in any way. She felt that most people would just end up disappointing her, so she’d spent a good portion of her life avoiding relationships. She feared that her own imperfections would wound a child in a way that would stay with them forever. She didn’t want to take that kind of risk. 

Keeping with the elevator pact they made years ago, she decided to be honest with Jillian about her feelings. 

“So, I’ve been thinking about the kids thing.” she said one night after they’d finished dinner. 

“Oh yeah? And?” 

“Well, I just...I don’t think I’m going to be a good mom. I’m afraid I’m going to screw up a kid beyond repair. It hurt so badly when my parents didn’t believe me. It ruined our relationship forever. What happened...made me resist getting into relationships with other people. For a long time.” Holtz listened quietly, nodding. She reached out and laced her fingers with Erin’s. “I just don’t want to be responsible for ruining someone’s life.”

“I get that,” her wife replied. “Being a parent is a huge job. Huge. Lifechanging. Scary. And what your parents did...well, it sucked. It was wrong. Of course that was hard for you. It would’ve been hard for anyone in your position. 

“Thank you for understanding. I was afraid you wouldn’t.”

“I love you, Erin. I’m always going to do everything in my power to understand what you’re going through. I may not always get it. But I’m always going to try. I think you’d make an incredible mom someday. You’re smart, you’re caring, you’re purposeful. But if you’re not ready, you’re not ready. I’m not going to pressure you.” Jill squeezed her fingers and smiled, and although Erin thought it looked a little sad, she was relieved. 

~~~

A few weeks later, Erin heard the sound of voices and followed them to find Holtz having a video chat with Kelly and baby Charlie. She planned to give her wife privacy until she heard her name.

“How’s it going with Erin and the whole kids thing? Got her convinced yet?” Kelly asked, bouncing Charlie on her knee.

“No. She’s...not ready. And I don’t want to pressure her. But part of me is worried.”

“What are you worried about?”

“Well, a lot of things honestly. It’s not like we can just get pregnant when we feel like it. Having a kid is going to require a lot of steps. Maybe some waiting. I’ve always assumed adoption is the route we’d go, and I’ve heard people can be on those lists for years. But on the other hand, if we try to...have our own? Well, we’re going to need a little outside help. And we’re getting...older. Erin’s 42, I’m going to be 33 soon. What if all our eggs dry up? What if we can’t get pregnant right away and then we’re those crazy old people having a baby in their 50s and getting mistaken for grandparents all the time?”

“Slow your roll, Jill. You’ve got time. You’re 32, not 102. People are having kids later these days. It’s totally normal. You’re both healthy. It shouldn’t be hard to get one of you pregnant. Or to adopt a child in need. There are older kids out there that need homes too.”

“You’re right. Thanks for listening. I just...well, I want to be somebody’s mama, you know? It sounds awesome.” Kelly nodded her understanding.

“I know, Jill. I know. Hang in there. You two will get it figured out.”

Erin stepped away from the door and felt a sinking pit in her stomach. She’d had no idea how much this meant to her wife, how much thought she’d put into parenthood already and how worried she was about it not happening. Erin thought maybe it was time to do some real soul searching. 

~~~

“Hey, so Charlie’s birthday is next weekend and there’s going to be a Holtzmann family get together.”

“Sounds good. Lunch or dinner?”

“Well, Candace is coming in town.” Candace was only a couple years younger than Jillian, but they weren’t close. She was a zoologist studying penguins in the arctic, so she did not visit often. “My parents were thinking of having everyone come stay at their place for the weekend. Would you be up for that?”

Erin had never met Candace and had not spent a great deal of time with the other Holtzmanns. She had enjoyed meeting them and getting to know them more over the years. It made her a little nervous to spend a whole weekend surrounded by Holtzmanns, but she could tell it was important to Jillian.

“Absolutely. That sounds like a lot of fun.” Holtz hugged Erin tightly.

~~~

They arrived at the Holtzmann family home and were immediately enveloped into the fold. Friends and family filled the living room. Balloons, snacks and gifts were scattered on tables and Holtzmanns, chatting happily, filled the furniture. Erin was a little overwhelmed. She saw Kelly, Charlie balanced on her hip, and made her way to the sister-in-law she knew the best. 

“Hey! I am so glad you guys came!” Kelly said, wrapping her free arm around Erin. “Jill said you’re going to stay the night?” Erin nodded. Kelly leaned closer, “I’m really glad you’re going to be here to navigate this swarm of Holtzmanns with me,” she said in a low voice. “I mean, technically, I’m one of them now, but I still feel a little bit like an outsider.” Erin understood that sentiment completely. The Holtzmanns were a warm, welcoming family, but Erin still felt like she might not be on the same wavelength that they were on. She was glad to have Kelly there to commiserate, or at the very least, to understand her perspective. 

In the next moment, Jillian materialized at her side and reached out her arms for her nephew, who gladly went to her. Erin turned, smiling, and then did a double-take. Standing beside Jill was a woman who looked very similar and yet very different at the same time. She had the same curly blond hair as Jill but it was cut in a short bob. She wore jeans and a long-sleeved, solid blue t-shirt with simple running shoes. She reached out for Erin’s hand and smiled, showing that she too had inherited those glorious Holtzmann dimples.

“Hi, you must be Erin. I’m Candace.” Erin shook her hand, shocked into silence by her wife’s doppleganger. Kelly jumped in to fill the awkward silence Erin had inadvertently created.

“Erin’s been stunned into silence by the sudden knowledge that her wife has a clone,” Kelly laughed. “It’s ok, I had the exact same reaction!” Erin was grateful for Kelly’s words.

“Sorry! It is really nice to meet you! I didn’t realize how uncanny the resemblance would be. It’s...surprising.”

Jill and Candace shared a look. 

“You think we look alike?” Jill said, shaking her head and looking at her sister for confirmation. “I just don’t see it, do you?” Candace shook her head as well. 

~~~

After several hours, cake was cut, gifts were open and the guest of honor was taking a nap. Erin was exhausted. Being in large groups wore her out, but she wasn’t sure what to do to recharge. She stepped into the kitchen and found Mrs. Holtzmann making a cup of tea. 

“Hi, dear. Would you like some tea?” 

“Thanks, Renee. That sounds wonderful.” Erin took a seat at the bar and was pleased to find the quiet with her mother-in-law to be more comfortable than she had imagined. After she was done fixing the tea, Mrs. Holtzmann asked Erin if she’d like to join her on the patio. Erin was grateful for the chance to step away. 

“Sometimes these family gatherings can be exhausting,” Renee said knowingly as she sipped her tea. “I love getting everyone together but boy do I enjoy my quiet too.” 

“I’m glad I’m not the only one. It is great to see everyone but sometimes I feel like I need to recharge. I’ve talked so much today that I think I’m about out of words.” Renee laughed and nodded.

“I know we can be overwhelming when we get together. In fact, I’ve pretty much been in varying states of overwhelmed since about the time the twins were born. So, you know, just the past.23 years.” Jillian’s twin brothers, Mikey and Jared, were fun-loving and carefree. They lived in California and had a popular YouTube channel together. Erin had never met them but Jill spoke fondly of teaching them pranks when they were little.

“I can’t imagine having twins, that must have been hard.”

“It was. And then Natalie came barely a year later. We all had our hands full.”

“Jill told me she helped out a lot.”

“Oh, she did. She was an angel. So patient, so good with her brothers and sisters. She was jealous of Candace when she was born and kind of picked on her some, but she really stepped up when the twins were born. And Natalie too. I think Natalie thought she was her second mom.” Renee smiled, reminiscing on her childrens’ younger years. “They’ve always been close.”

“She sure seems to be good with kids. Charlie adores her.”

“He really does. She’s a natural.” Renee was quiet, not pressing, not asking questions. Erin appreciated that her mother-in-law didn’t pry. Before she knew it, she was blurting out her own concerns. 

“I’m terrified I’ll be awful with kids. Jill’s going to be a great mom, when we get there. But I’m afraid I’ll just mess them up.” Erin confessed. Renee looked thoughtful.

“In some ways, you might. We’re all human. Every parent makes mistakes. But there’s an excellent saying Roger’s grandma told me around the time I found out I was pregnant with Natalie. She said you can’t take the blame for all of their failures and you can’t take the credit for all of their successes. That’s stuck with me all these years.” Renee smiled and looked into Erin’s eyes. “You’re a kind person, Erin. You’re thoughtful and you do all you can for the people you love. You’ll make a wonderful parent.” She squeezed her hand. “It’s normal to have doubts and be afraid. I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant with James.”

“Really? It’s hard to imagine you being scared!” Renee was a graceful, confident woman, in Erin’s eyes. She was calm and organized and Erin was impressed by her ability to wrangle her large family and orchestrate get-togethers without looking flustered.

“Oh, yes, I was. I’d never babysat before or really spent time with kids in general. I knew I wanted to be a mom, but I had no idea what I was doing. Thank God for Roger. He talked me down.” Holtz’s father, Roger, had been an elementary school principal for years before he retired to do research. He was goofy and bright and warm, just like his daughter. “Rog told me not to panic, he’d be with me every step of the way. And he was. He changed diapers and gave baths and walked the halls with crying babies. He laid down the law when teenagers got too big for their britches. He was -is- an amazing father.”

They continued to drink their tea and chat on the patio but something inside Erin shifted. She realized that whenever they did decide to take the plunge into parenthood, she wouldn’t be alone. She’d have Jillian, by her side, the whole way through. 

~~~

Several weeks later, they celebrated their first anniversary. They were pretty busy at work and they decided to keep it low-key, opting for a movie night in the firehouse with their favorite take-out. Erin was grateful she could wear her pjs and lounge around rather than getting dressed up and going out. It had been an exhausting week of working on final touches of her and Abby’s book. After they were finished eating, Holtz paused the movie and sat up, taking Erin’s hands. 

“I love you so much. This has been the most incredible year,” she said, smiling softly. “I have to admit...I didn’t know what to get your for our anniversary. We already went on an amazing trip. Got some cool jewelry. Flowers seemed too cliche. So, I decided to make you something practical, something you can actually use. Come with me.” Holtz led her up the stairs to her second floor lab. “Now close your eyes,” she said as she took Erin’s hands and led her to the wall where her old whiteboard was. She pulled a sheet down. 

“Ta-da!” Holtz said, unveiling her creation. Erin wasn’t sure how to react. It looked like...her white board. 

“Um, thank you?” she said, confused. 

“Let me turn it on for you,” Holtz pushed a button and the board illuminated. “It’s a Smart Board. Well, a Smart Board that I hacked a little. With Benny’s help.” Benny was excellent with technology and he and Holtz had had some fun working on projects together before. Erin approached curiously. 

“What does it do?”

“Well, you can write on it like normal and it will transfer your writing to the computer and save it. If you write neatly enough, it can convert your writing to text so you can edit it and eventually share it more easily.” She grinned. “I hope you like it! I hope it makes your work easier. I know you like writing by hand but you’ve done some genius work on the whiteboard that others need to know about.” Erin’s jaw dropped. She did prefer writing by hand, felt that it worked out a different part of her brain that typing did. But even when she typed out her results later, it was always disappointing having to erase her rough drafts, her solutions and ideas. She thought there was something beautiful about the process by which she arrived at her answers and it was a shame to wipe them away. 

“Jill...it’s perfect. Thank you, so much. I can’t wait to try it out!” Erin was amazed by her creation. She hugged her wife, who squeezed her tightly then handed her a stylus.

“Give it a whirl! You can change the color of the writing by clicking the buttons on the side. It’ll take some time to get the hang of it, but it’ll be fun. 

“Honestly, this is going to completely change the way I do my work. It’s going to save me so much time,” she said and she scribbled on the board.” Holtz showed her how to save her files and convert the writing to text documents. “This is incredible. You’re incredible.” She leaned in and kissed Jillian, first gently, but then deeper. It was the kind of kiss that was leading somewhere. Erin only hoped her gift would be as well received. 

~~~

“I think I’m ready,” Erin said quietly. They were lying in bed a while later, undressed and sleepy.

“Ready to go again?” Holtz asked, turning onto her side and leaning in to kiss Erin. 

Erin smiled. “Well, maybe, but that’s not what I was talking about. I meant that I think I’m ready...to talk about kids.” Holtzmann sat up, suddenly fully awake.

“Really?” Erin noted that her wife’s eyes were bright and a smile had begun to form at the corners of her mouth. 

“Really.”

“Wow.” She shook her head, surprised. “That’s great!”

“Yeah?” Erin smiled shyly, pleased that she had caught Jillian off guard. 

“Of course! God, this is so exciting. I can’t believe it. Ok, so, let’s talk about it!”

“Let’s talk. For starters, I have a question.” Erin had been thinking about this a lot, especially since her conversation with Holtz’s mother. She’d done a little research on her own but figured she might as well ask her wife. 

“Sure,” Jillian said, taking Erin’s hands in her own. She had not stopped grinning since the conversation began. “What is it?”

“How do...well. How do we...How do gay people go about obtaining children?” Jill shook her head and stuck out her tongue. When she spoke her reply, she punched Erin on the shoulder gently. 

“We get them from H&M, Erin. Everyone knows that.” They dissolved into fits of laughter. 

“Well, if that’s the case,” Erin said a few moments later, wiping her eyes. “Let’s go shopping.”

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after my Trapped fic. I I randomly got a scene stuck in my head so I played with it and suddenly I had thousands of words written about it and decided maybe I should share with y'all. It's going to be an interesting journey, I can tell you that much. There will be children, maybe some ghosts, we'll see. 
> 
> Add me on Tumblr under ABakersTrilogyHas4Books. Please consider shooting me a message- I would love to chat with you. I'm looking to befriend some like-minded individuals with similar interests! :)
> 
> Oh, and kudos to you if you catch the Ghostbusters II reference.


End file.
